PART 21

EVANNA Frey's words danced across the air like nectar residue , rivers of caramel stemming from her throat as they morphed themselves into her luscious sentences. Her seraphic form flitted between the pages of his mind , and he could only fervently dream of her effusive being , and jejune azure irises. But her saccharine mind , and the virulent rivers of red wine that flooded her veins hid her venomous undersides.

She was sweet , too sweet for Draco - and yet , her caressing hands , and the way her soft kisses on his cheeks slicked his open wounds of dread and fear , filling the gaps between his gossamer bruises with molten honey - Draco adored her.

Adoration. Admiration. Love.

He loved her , more than anyone he ever had. And he realised it by the onset of Christmas.

Draco Malfoy , with his stardust hair and moon-like eyes had held a special place in the heart of the demon for time long past. His voice , to her ears , were the epitome of a june hymn - a saccharine choir , songs of the ivory beads that scattered the obsidian universe , illuminating souls and setting fire to their eyes as he drew in scattered breaths. Streams of languished champagne occupied his arteries , giving shape to a rapturous creature.

A redolent fragrance of peppermint emanated from his being , tying itself into the fabric of his extravagant clothes - intoxicating Evanna's nostrils whenever she wrapped her arms around him.

He was grey , a mercury drawn through the steel clouds that hushed the earth upon rainy months. But Evanna-

She was black. The darkest of obsidian , a flicker of golden light difficult to find in the cages of her melanoid heart however farther one would look. As far as the eye went , black waters cleaned the shores of unclean steel like the innards of a darkening cave.

She was bad. Too bad for Draco , who healed her heart and held her hand - whose mind imprisoned himself as a villain too far too achieve redemption , but who - upon a single command , would cry Evanna a river of shimmering sapphire tears. The way his fingers glossed over the bruises over her heart , loving her despite her faults , Evanna loved it. Evanna adored him.

But her love was different. Addiction. Obsession. She craved him.

She was addicted to him more than the cigarettes that squeezed her lungs , more than the alcohol that lined her liver. She could not live without him , needed his touch every step of the way. She couldn't bear to see him away from her , and as pathetic as it sounded - Evanna deemed it as love.

No one had ever loved her like Draco Malfoy - people admired her perfection , but would never embrace her wrongs like the boy with the stardust hair.

As much as she believed it to be love , her love had taken the wings of obsession. And she realised it by the onset of Christmas.

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Christmas at Hogwarts would bring forth a holiday air like none other , remnants of morning snow tickling the flushed skin of students as they traversed through the lush ivory courtyard , withering vines of emerald protruding through the white - tips a deep cerulean due to the snow. The scintillating amber sun hid behind the floating streams of opal hued cirrus , piercing the stale air with occasional beams of bright light. Hogwarts loomed in a distance , rising from a sea of jagged obsidian rocks that arose from the clashing waves of the Black Lake.

The Ravenclaw Common Room was bedecked with ornaments of silver and gold , wreaths hanging across the corners as the fairy lights held the walls together - binding them with the warming ease of festivities. The curtains of royal blue glimmered in the faint light emanating from the lone Christmas that stood in a corner. The christmas-themed embroidered cushions , blankets and books littering the room provided an unintentional air of Christmas , conflating to appear comforting.

Draco sighed , knocking for what seemed like the fiftieth time upon Evanna's door , and all she did was answer a faint "two minutes."

He contemplated going in , but that would be awkward , and he ended up walking downstairs - picking a book to read from the private collection of the Ravenclaws as he dropped onto the comfortable couch. The Common Room was only partially full , the only two other Ravenclaws staying back for the festival making hushed conversation behind the shelves.

Through his peripheral vision , he saw a bit of caramel hair - looking up to find a grinning Evanna - a book tucked under her arm , as she made her way next to him. Her copper hair cascaded down in a braid , and she perched her sock clad feet on the boy's lap. Draco did not protest , and when she pulled a blanket over her legs and started reading , he went back to the pages of his own book.

It wasn't much , but they were reading - and they were close to each other. And for the silver haired wizard , it was enough.

Time passed , and his eyes flitted upwards to gaze at the ceiling of glass that looked out towards the sky of ivory strewn apart with clouds. 

"It's beautiful isn't it ?"

He heard her voice end his stupor , and he met her eyes before cracking a smile - nodding his head sincerely. Evanna's sapphire irises drifted towards the cover of the book he held between his fingers , and the corner of her lips curved upwards as she spoke ,"I did not presume reading Muggle books was your thing."

As much as he would not admit it , Draco had read muggle books previously. 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Besides , being the enigma Evanna Frey was - he despised how he did not know a thing about her , while she could read him like a book - knowing what he needed the most. He wished he could be the same for her , and reading the books Evanna preferred was something that would help him in the process , he would get to know her through parts of the book. And he would learn to love the things she loved - like muggle books.

So , he had begun reading The Diary of a Young Girl.

"I quite like it. Your taste is nice", He complimented , as Evanna's eyes glittered with mirth. Suddenly , her gaze snapped towards the shut window that provided a glimpse of the snow clad universe outside of the gothic castle. Snow fell from behind the thick clouds of pearl - and she pulled the boy by his hand - making them both stand up.

"What's wrong ?", He questioned , and she motioned towards the door. He nodded , understanding the gesture. Taking his coat that hung on the hook by the door of the Common Room - he slipped on his gloves of fine wool that had rested on the coffee table previously.

Evanna returned from her bedroom , whisps of hair and her braid escaping from the cap that appeared slightly tilted as she buttoned her ermine coat with her mitten clad fingers. Draco reached forward , both hands fixing the cap on her head - as she looked up to smile at him. A ruby dust coated his cheeks , and he smiled lightly - as they walked out.

Running across the courtyard , they chased each other before stopping to catch their breath by the Black Lake. Their eyes glazed over the sheet of ice that froze the lake , flakes of ice coating the frozen lake , drooping branches of willows sprawling over it like rivers of caramel - lifeless , bare of any emerald in it - and yet conflating together to form a shadow so beautiful that it mesmerised both equally.

"Let's skate", Draco breathed , glancing back to look at the girl who had her hands resting on her knees.

"What ?", She asked incredulously.

"Let's skate."

"We don't have any skates."

The boy rolled his eyes , pulling out his wand from the pocket of his coat as he murmured an enchantment for silver blades to appear beneath the sole of their boots. Taking one of her hands , Draco pulled her towards the rink with a sprightly smile.

As he began to glide with elegance across the ice , his smile widened even more. The last time he had set feet upon ice felt like ages ago , and he was happy to be skating once again. It was not after a few moments that he noticed the absence of the Ravenclaw beside him.

Looking back , he found her standing still at where they had started , close to the edge of the lake - and he raised an eyebrow at her actions.

Gliding back , he stalked closer towards her as he spoke ,"Don't you know how to skate ?" - his breath leaving a trail of misty air in it's wake.

"No , it's not that-"

At the disbelieving stare from the boy , she smiled sheepishly and said ,"Yeah , maybe I don't."

Although he maintained a calm demeanour on the outside - his innards were crept alight with warmth , and slight nervousness as he realised that it was possibly the first time that he had been given the upper hand in a romantic situation with Evanna Frey. His gloved hands inched towards hers , and he wrapped them gently yet firmly around her dainty ones , pulling her towards him as a jolt of electricity - a nebulae of emotions swimming within the voids of his eyes as he gently pushed them both onto the ice.

Her touch , as she squeezed her eyes shut and intertwined their fingers tighter with the passage of every moment , left a meadow of butterflies gleaming in their wake. The quietness surrounding the both juxtaposed the tantalizing closeness the boy shared with her , and the beat of his own heart as it roared across his ribs as he gazed at her pulchitrudinous eyes.

A myriad of feelings rushed through his spine , as he held her close - smiling slightly as he felt her fist the fabric of his coat around her fingers - afraid to let go.

He skated with her in delusional bliss , and slowly watched as he let go of one of her hands , and they glided shoulder to shoulder with bright smiles that could lit the universe , like diamond matchsticks across a supernova of stars.

An aeonian supernova of love bloomed in his heart as he spun her around on the ice - watching as she laughed , the melodic tunes floating towards his ears like lilting , sweet honey.

And looking into her eyes , he fell in love once again.

                                                   _______________________

The two had started on the opposite sides of the Common Room , one on the couch by the fire , and one on the armchair opposite to the other - hidden deep within the dungeons of the castle. Heat stemmed from the mug clutched around her fingers , as she basked in the warmth of the flames that flickered upon her face - setting fire to the regal features.

Evanna took a sip of the hot chocolate in her cup , smiling contentedly to the mirroring beat of their conjoined hearts. Draco sat on the armchair , cheeks tainted bougainvillea with the sheer mist of young love.

But then she began murmuring enthusiastically about a spell , and despite having little interest - he listened patiently when she stood up to execute it. The withering flowers that had adorned the vase in the mantle beside the couch , bloomed with flowers once again - as if the sun had shone upon them in glory anew , and in a way - it eerily portrayed the heart of a certain Malfoy.

But then she had sat beside him , still on the farther end of the couch - and his heart yearned for her touch , and so he inched closer - ever so slightly , but not noticeable enough.

And he found himself losing himself more from the verge of sanity , as he fell into the cliff where all those who loved - went. The rivers of grief , pain , longing , desire and euphoria , all coloured in the blood of those who had once dared to fall from the edge.

She held his hand , and he reciprocated her touch. He blushed , his insides fluttering with ecstasy , from the pure joy that came from touching her hand. It felt like soft sunshine piercing the billow of clouds before shining down on the honeysuckles that adorned the garden of Eden.

He drew in a scattered breath that lingered in his lungs , as he felt her drift into an abyss of peaceful sleep as she placed her head on his shoulder. He conjured a blanket , wrapping her in it gently as he caressed her forehead , eyes focused on her sleeping , seraphic form.

Why did a goddess love his mortal soul ?